Basket-handle-attaching machine.



.E. CRAIG.

' BASKET HANDLE ATTACHI NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 30. I916.

Patented Oct. 1, l9l&.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. CRAIG.

BASKET HANDLE ATTACHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- s 0. I916- Patented. Oct. 1, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l i 1 l E. CRAIG. BASKET HANDLE ATTACHING MACHINE. APPL|CAT ION man SEPT- so; 1916.

E. CRAIG.

BASKET HANDLE ATTACHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPLQO. 191s.

L flfillo- Patented 0ct.1,19l8.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4'.

BASKET-HANDLE-ATTACHING CHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. l, 191%.

Application filed September 30, 1916. Serial No. 122,963.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CRAIG, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of St. Joseph, 'Berrien county, Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Basket-Handle-Atsubstantially bail-shaped handle.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a highly efiicient machine for inserting and clenchin the ends of the wire handle at the sides oi the basket.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of a machine-of this particular character.

A further object, of course, is to facilitate and reduce the cost of attaching wire handles to baskets.

To these and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a baskethandle attaching machine embodying the principles of my invention, showing abasket in posltion to receive a handle, the side of the basket being partially broken away to bring into view certain parts of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the machine shown in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing certain parts removed, and other arts in section (the basket also being shown in section) for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, but showing a the mechanism fully operated, whereby the ends of the wire handle are clenched upon the sides of the basket.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a grape basket provlded with a wire handle of thekind to be attached by said machine.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a pedestal A having a base a to rest upon the floor, and having a table B rigidly secured to the upper end thereof. Upon this table, an anvil C is secured in position, this anvil having parallel end-portions 0, and being also provided with beveled end-surfaces 1, and the ends of the block thus formed being provided with grooves 2 which are disposed in a common horizontal plane. At the opposite ends of this anvil C, horizontally swinging members D are pivoted upon the table at d, so that these members swing toward and away from each other. Each member D is provided with a prong 3 which serves as a guide for the basket E, these prongs extending inside of the rim of the basket when the latter is placed in position. The outer prongs A of these members D are provided with flat inside edges to bear against the rim 0 of the basket. Short links F are pivoted upon the table at f, at points outside of the members D, and the ends of these links F are connected by links G with the outer ends of the prongs 4, being pivoted thereto at g, and the links G having curved grooves 5 on their inner ends to engage the points of the handle. Long links H connect the pivotal points It between the links F and G w1th the rear end of the link I, which latter is provided with a pivot i for the converging ends of said long links. The bell-crank J s pivoted at j on a pair of ears 6 which extend downward from the rear edge of the table B, so that one end of this bell-crank extends upward and is pivoted at 7 to the end of the short link I, the shoulder 8 on the top of the pedestal serving as a stop to limit the motion of said bell-crank in one. direction. The other end of this bell-crank is pivoted at 9 to the upper end of the link K, which latter extends downward and is-pivoted at is to the foot-lever L; and this foot-lever is pivoted at Z to brackets 10 on the base of the pedestal. A spring 11 holds the foot-lever in normally elevated position. A bracket M is secured to the upper portion of the pedestal and is provided with a curved side m for the lower end of the'basket, when the latter is placed in position to receive the handle. Preferably, this bracket M is provided with a slot 12 for the attaching bolt 13, whereby the bracket may be raised and lowered to suit the requirements. Adjustable gages N are secured upon the table B, at the rear edge thereof, to engage the straight or trans verse portion of the handle 0, thereby to position the latter on the table.

The operation is as follows: With the handle 0 in position, as shown in Fig.5, the foot-lever L is pressed downward until the mechanism is operated sufliciently to press the sides of the basket toward the anvil O,

the prongs l engaging the rim of the basket for this purpose. This will cause the points 0 of the handle to pierce the sides of a the basket immediately below the rim of the basket (see Fig. 5), and the continued operation of the foot-lever will finally bring the parts of the mechanism into the positions shown in Fig. 6, thereby fully inserting the handle and clenching the ends thereof upon the outside of the rim. This is done, it will be seen, by causing the points 0 to engage the grooves 5 in the links G, these links serving as clutch-blocks to turn the points of the wire handle backward and double them fiatwise against the outer sides of the rim of the basket. Preferably, the handle has each side thereof provided with a kink 01' bend 14: which bears upon the upper edge of the rim of the basket, and when the handle is fully attached it is held in upright position onthe basket.

handle through the sides of the basket. Thus" the wire handle remains stationary, and the Preferably, the baskets are made with the sides slightly distorted or bulged-outward, as

shown in Fig. 5, so that each side can be pressed inward to insert the points, of the sides of the'basket are moved toward each other'to accomplish the insertion and clenching of the'points of the handle on the sides of "the rim. When the handle is fully attached, the sides of the basket are then in proper position (se Fig. 6), and with stiff wire will be held 'in this'position. 'However, even though the sides of the basket continue to bulge outward, the weight of the basket on the handle will tend to draw the sides inward, when the basket is carried in the hand. Furthermore, the side-portions of the handle can be sprung toward each other, so that the end-portions of the handle will be sprung apart by the block 0 when the handle is inserted in position. In that event, the elbow portions 15 of the handle will engage p the grooves 2 in the bevel-portions 1 of the anvil or block C, and by shoving the handle eeann prongs 4, so that when the links H are drawn backward the members D are very powerfully moved toward each other by the action of said toggles. It will also be seen that the handle is supported in a horizontal plane, and that the mechanism for pressing inward the sides of the basket, and for clenching the ends of the handle, is composed of elements which operate in horizontal planes. Some of these elements, in this case the pivoted members D, are provided with notches formed between the prongs 3 and 4 to receive the rim of the basket. During the attaching operation, the prongs 3 swingover the block 0 in a manner that will be understood. The opposite edges of the rim of the basket engage the front edge of the table B, so that the latter serves to gage the insertion of the basket in th mechanism. It will also be seen that the bottom of each notch in the members D serves a similar purpose, as these notches can terminate on a line exactly above the front edge of the table.

As a matter of convenience, rods-P are secured to the rear portion of the table B,

and the handles 0 are stored on these rods,

in the manner shown in Fig. 1, so that they are in a convenient position to be lifted off and placed in the mechanism of the machine. It will be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, nor to any particular form of handle, or any particular type of basket or other receptacle.

' It will be seen, therefore, that the pivots 9 form pivot joints tov receive the basket,

preferably between the two joints, and for thereafter moving the sides of the basket or other receptacle toward the points of the handle, these joints providing also the means for then clenching the points of the handle,

in the manner described. By thus utilizing these pivot joints for forcing the points of the handle through the sides of the basket, and for clenching the points of the handle, a very powerful and effective action is obtained and the machine is capable of doing the required work in a comparatively easy and satisfactory manner, simply by placing the foot on the treadle to operate the toggles which actuate said pivot joints.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a basket-handle attaching machine,

means for holding the wire handle in sta-.

tionary position to receive the basket, and mechanism havinga pair of movable pivot joints for receiving the basket in front of said handle position and for moving the sides of the receptacle toward the points of the handle, so that said points will pass through the sides, and for then bending the ends of the handle. 2. In a basket-handle attaching machine,

means for holding the Wire handle in posi tion, and mechanism for moving the sides handle,

the sides, and for then bending the ends said mechanism including pivs of a receptacle toward the points ofthe so that said points will pass through force the sides of the receptacle toward each other.

4=. A structure as specified in claim 1, said mechanism including pivoted links having their ends provided with groovesfor,receiving and thereby bending the ends of the handle, movable supports upon which said "links are operated, and means to operate said links.

In a'basket-handle attaching machine,

means for holding the wirehandle in posi-" tion, and mechanism for'moving the sides of a receptacle toward the points of the handle, so that said points will pass through the sides, and for then bending the ends ofthe handle, said mechanism including pivoted members for engaging the sides of the receptacle and toggles for operating said mem-' bers toward and away from each other, each toggle comprising a link having one end sides of the receptacle and thereof ada ted to engage the adjacent endof the han 1e, and means to operate said toggles.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means including a table having a gage to position the handle 'flatwise thereon, and

said table having a fixed member for engaging the end-portions of the handle.

7 A structure as specified in claim 1, said means including a block which is .between the end-portions of the handle during the attaching operation, and said, mechanism being arranged to force the sidesof the receptacle toward the ends of said block.

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means being arranged to .hold the handle in a horizontal. plane,'and said mechanism com-- prising pivoted elements which operate. in

horizontal planes. 7

9. A structure as specified in claim 1, said and said mechanism operating horizontally above said support. 10. A structure as specified in claim 1, said machine having a support for the receptacle,

mechanism having pivoted elements pro- 'vided with notches for receiving the rim of the receptacle, and clenchingmeans pivoted on said notched elements to clench the points of the handle.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of September, 1916,. I

' Enwann CRAIG.. 

